Privacy Isn’t a Feature. It’s Who You Are // Chris McCabe (Session)

Sat, May 2, 2026, 12:00 AM

In this Academy interview, Chris McCabe (Session) shares his perspective on privacy as a fundamental part of personal identity and freedom, pushing back against the idea that people have “nothing to hide.” He discusses the growth of decentralized messaging and the challenges of building privacy-first products without tracking users or relying on data-driven business models. Chris also highlights the trade-offs between privacy, usability, and funding, and reflects on the importance of supporting open, decentralized communication tools. Looking ahead, he envisions a future of autonomous, privacy-respecting networks and technologies that empower individuals at scale. Timecodes 00:00 – Introduction: Chris McCabe (Session) 00:16 – Privacy as personal identity and “nothing to hide” myth 00:58 – Favorite tools: Brave and privacy-first browsing 01:31 – Cypherpunk today: following your own values 02:23 – State of decentralized messaging and growth 03:21 – Challenges: no tracking, funding, and user feedback loops 04:23 – Funding crisis and call for community support 05:13 – Optimistic future: decentralized and privacy-first networks 06:00 – AI, autonomy, and the future of privacy tech -- This conversation is part of Privacy Academy Interviews, a peer-to-peer knowledge project exploring the most important ideas in Web3, privacy, and digital freedom. Learn more: https://academy.web3privacy.info A W3PN Media House production. Directed by Federico Marchi https://x.com/BabyBitProd Interview by Peter Farbey https://x.com/0xfarbey Let privacy be with you!